Was Abraham originally a Jew?
Abraham was not originally a Jew; he was a Syrian from Ur of the Chaldeans. He became the father of the Jewish people, but his original identity was Syrian, just as Sarai was. God called him out to establish a nation through which redemption would come.
Les explains that Abraham appeared on the scene around 2,000 B.C., coming from Ur of the Chaldeans. He notes that Abraham was originally a Syrian, not a Jew, and that Sarai was also Syrian. Though Abraham became the father of the Jewish people, his origin was Syrian. God chose this one man out of the human race and promised to make of him a great nation, give him a geographical area of land, and one day come to be their king and government. Through Israel, God would bring the plan of redemption to the whole human race. This is the Abrahamic covenant given in Genesis 12.
What nationality was Abraham originally?
Abraham was originally a Syrian, not a Jew. He came out of Ur of the Chaldeans, and though he later became the father of the Jewish people, his original nationality was Syrian; Sarai was also Syrian. This distinction matters because God chose him out of that one race to begin a new people through whom redemption would come.
What was Abraham's original nationality according to this teaching?
According to this teaching, Abraham's original nationality was Syrian, not Jewish. He came from Ur of the Chaldeans, and Sarai was also Syrian. Though he became the father of the Jewish people, he was originally a Syrian. The teaching corrects the assumption that he was a Jew.